Movably supported dispersion viewer



Oc 28, 1969 F. J. STRICKER MOVABLY SUPPORTED DISIERSION VIEWER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1966 FIG.2

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. FELIX J. STRICKER 8. 1969 F. J- STRICKER MOVABLY SUPPORTEDDISPERSIQN VIEWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 9, 1966 FIG. 5

I INVENTOR. FELIX J. STRICKER FIG. 6

ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 350-168 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to a mounted amusement viewer. Moreparticularly, it deals with such a device having a viewing system whichmay be obliquely and nonobliquely oriented with respect to a line ofsight to vary the appearance of a viewed object or scene. The viewingsystem includes an optical element, such as a prism or grating, whichmay be adjustably mounted between and in line with shielded windowedapertures located on opposite sides of the box. The viewing system maybe contained in a weatherproof encasement or box mounted on a support bymeans of a swivel joint which permits rotation about a vertical axis andtilting from the vertical axis. A coin operated shutter system may alsobe included in the viewing system to permit viewing for only limitedperiods of time.

The object of this invention is to produce a viewer which causes achromatic aberration such as changing the appearance of a colorless orcolored scene to a scene with a different coloration or with a fullspectrum of visible colors, as well as varying the viewed width of thespectral lines.

It is another object to produce a viewer which varies the viewed widthof the spectral lines.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the inventionitself will be understood best by reference to the following descriptionof embodiments of this invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the viewers side of a pedestalmounted coin operated viewing device according to one embodiment of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opposite or viewing side of only theviewing device and its swivel mounting shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the ball and socket swivelmounting for the viewing device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 showingthe stop means for preventing complete rotation of the swivel mounting;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged illustration of the viewing side of the deviceshown in FIG. 2 with its cover plate removed to show the opticalelement, its mounting means, and the shutter operating means; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views similar to FIG. 5 with parts broken away andshowing the other side of ends of the optical element and other meansfor mounting for the optical element.

FIG. 1 shows an amusement viewing device 10 according to this inventionwith a support such as vertical post or column mounted upon a relativelyheavy base 17 which may be made of cast concrete, cast iron Or the liketo provide stability. However, the support column 15 may be mountedother than vertically and even may be suspended from an overhead supportwithout departing from the scope of this invention. The post 15 may havea raised platform 19 adjustably clamped thereto such as by a screw orcam clamp means 20 a short distance above the base to facilitateoperation of the viewer by children.

3,475,079 Patented Oct. 28, l969 A flexible or frictional journal joint21 such as one comprising a ball 23 and a socket 25 (see FIGS. 3 and 4)is used to connect the stem 26 on the body 27 of the viewer to thesupport column 15. Thus the viewer body 27 may be tilted obliquely fromand rotated about an axis. The ball 23 and socket 25 may be hollow andmay have cooperating stop means 28 and 29, respectively, for limitingthe rotation of the viewer body 27 to a single revolution or less inorder to avoid excessive twisting or flexing when an electricalconductor or wire 32 is required to extend up from the base 17 to theviewer body 27 through the interior of the post 15 and joint 21 foroperation of a mechanism, such as a timer and/or shutter, in the viewerbody 27.

The body 27 of the viewer may include a weatherproof enclosure such as arectangular metal box 29 having windowed apertures 31 and 33 (see FIGS.1 and 2), respectively, in its front 35 and back 37 panels. A pair ofhandles 39 and 40 also may be attached to the front side or panel 35 tofacilitate the tilting and/or rotating of the viewer body 27. The sideof the viewer box 29 facing the observer, denoted as the front side orpanel 35, may have an external light shield 41 attached around theaperture 31, which shield 41 may comprise four connected flat sidesangularly disposed with respect to the front panel and directed towardsthe optical element, such as one of the sides of a prism 44 containedwithin the body 27. Another external shield 43 for governing the lightadmitted to the optical element may 'be attached around the aperture 33in the back panel 37, which shield 43 may have a hollow frusto pyramidalform converging toward the aperture and optical element behind it. Theback panel 37, or one of the other panels of the box 29, may beremovably attached to the box 29 to provide access to components of theviewing system contained within the viewer box 29.

One of the internal components is an optical element 44 which may be agrating, or may be a prism made of transparent glass or plastic, or thelike, having a relatively high refractive index and having a triangularlateral cross-section and a size relative to that of the aperture 31 or33. This optical element 44 may be adjustably mounted between the twowindowed apertures 31 and 33 with its longitudinal axis parallel to thebottom of the viewer box 29. If the optical element 44 is a prism asshown, it preferably is oriented so that one of its sides faces the rearpanel 37 and the other two sides face the front panel 35, with two orall three of its sides angularly disposed with respect to these panels35 and 37. For this purpose a mounting means 45 for the optical element44 may comprise cushioned end caps 47 and 48 for nesting each end of theoptical element or prism 44. Each cap 47 and 48 may have an attachedthreaded rod or trunnion means 50 and 51 extending outwardly therefromthrough a hole in its respective side panel 53 or 55 of the viewer box29 which holes have a larger diameter than the rod 50 or 51 to permitsubstantial lateral movement of these rods therein. The rods 50 or 51may be provided with washers 57 and nuts 58 disposed on each side of therespective panels 53 or 55 to adjustably position and lock the opticalelements 44 in place. Thus the axial alignment, rotational position andlongitudinal position of the optical element 44 may be adjusted toachieve the most desirable spectral colorations and results. Theexternal ends of the threaded rods 50 or 51 may be encased in cappedtubes 63 or 65 attached to the side panel 53 or 55 adjacent theirrespective holes, which tubes may function as handles 67 or 68 fortilting and rotating the body 27 of the viewer. FIGS. 6 and 7 show,respectively, shorter threaded rods 70 and 71 attached to the caps 47and 48, which are adjustably mounted in holes in brackets 72 and 73attached respectively to the end panels 53 and back panel"37, as otherways in which the optical element 44 may be mounted and inside the box29.

A timer operated shutter system 80 (see FIG. may be provided to limitthe duration of a viewing to a specified period of time. The shuttersystem 80* may include a shutter 82 such as a metal plate slidablycontained in channels 84 on the inside of the front panel 35 adjacentits windowed aperture 31. A motor means, such as an electrical solenoid85 connected to electrical power conductor 32, may operate a lever means86 connected to the shutter 82 to move the shutter 82 away from theaperture and expose the optical element 44 for viewing during the timethe motor means 85 is energized. A coin operated timer switch 90 may beattached to the top of the viewer box 29 and also connected to theelectrical power conductor 31 and solenoid 85 for controlling thespecified period of time. Batteries, however, .may be placed in the box29, for operation of the solenoid 85 and timer 90, thereby eliminatingthe wire 31 through the post and joint 21. Also instead of theelectrical control for the shutter 82, a mechanical or spring timer andshutter operating motor means may be provided, without departing fromthe scope of this invention.

While there is described above the principles of this invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A coin operated prismatic viewer comprising:

(a) a transparent light retracting triangular prism having a lengthgreater than its thickness and being long enough for a viewer to lookthrough its side with both eyes at the same time,

(b) a pair of cushion means for supporting the ends of said prism,

(c) normally horizontal trunnion means extending outwardlylongitudinally from said cushion means,

(d) an opaque weatherproof housing for said prism,

said housing having aligned opposed windows on opposite sides of saidprism,

1e) means inside said housing for mounting said prism by said trunnionmeans including means for adjusting and locking the angular position ofsaid prism about the axis of said trunnion means,

(if) opaque shield means around said windows for blocking light notsubstantially in alignment with said windows and prism,

(g) movable shutter means in said housing for blocking and unblockingthe light passing through said windows and prism,

(h) means connected to said housing for guiding the movement of saidshutter means into and out of its light blocking position,

(i) lever means mounted in said housing and connected to said shuttermeans for controlling the movement of said shutter means,

(j) coin operated means connected to said housing for operating saidlever means to .move said shutter means out of its light blockingposition,

(k) timer means connected to said housing and operated by said coinoperated means for operating said lever means to move said shutter meansinto its light blocking position a predetermined time after said shuttermeans is moved out of its light blocking position,

(l) pedestal means having a weighted base for supporting said housingincluding a first friction journal means for permitting rotation of saidhousing about a vetrical axis, and a second friction journal means forpermitting limited rotation of said housing about a horizontal axis,

(In) two horizontally spaced handle means on said housing for movingsaid housing in said friction journal means, and

(11) an adjustable platform connected to said pedestal means above saidbase.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,938 1/1900 Patterson 194-95645,771 3/1900 Weise 194-95 664,343 12/1900 Wheeler 194-95 1,434,84511/1922 Richardson 194-95 1,517,731 12/1924 Johnson 194-95 2,594,6984/1952 Thomas 350-287 FOREIGN PATENTS 629,098 10/1961 Canada.

DAVID SCHONBERG, Primary Examiner RONALD I. STERN, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R.

